


Close Your Eyes

by sunday_songs



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Eventual Romance, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pre-Canon, Slow Burn, like for awhile
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-21
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-13 17:46:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28907298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunday_songs/pseuds/sunday_songs
Summary: Nearly ten years before he ever found the child, he found something else.Sanja Otera was sure of two things only. Herself, and the blaster at her hip. Then she met a Mandalorian. Now she's only sure of one thing.
Relationships: Din Djarin/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 5





	1. The Chieftain

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! Thanks for clicking on my story. This is my first work on ao3 so I would appreciate any and all feedback! Just in case you missed the tags, this is a pre-canon fic, though eventually, (fingers crossed) we will get there. I mostly wrote this to explore some of the time before all the events of the show and did my best to write all the characters as accurately as possible. Not beta read, so please let me know if you find any errors. Enjoy!

She let out a long breath, wiping the sweat from her forehead as she worked. It had been a long day, and judging from the state of the hunk of metal in front of her, it was going to get a lot longer.

"Sanja!" A voice called from behind her. "Are you done yet! I need that droid up and running!" She ground her teeth, silently seething at his impatience.

"Not yet!" She called back, "Almost!" She picked up her screwdriver, muttering to herself as she unscrewed a heavy metal plate. She just needed to finish a few more jobs. Then she would be free to leave this wretched planet. She was fixing up the last few wires when the machine began to spark. "Crap." The droid sprung suddenly to life, beeping frantically. Sanja ducked just in time to dodge a piece of flying metal. She moved quickly, tackling the droid to the ground before it could do any real damage. Her hands searched the droid from behind, digging into its back before hitting their mark. She pulled roughly on the cord, the droid sputtering to a halt in her arms.

"Damnit."

The sun had long since dipped behind the horizon when she started back to her small lodgings. The streets were empty as she walked the familiar route home, pulling her jacket tighter around her to block out the chill.

She looked up at the sky, thousands of stars scattering across her vision. As a child, Sanja had spent hours admiring the stars with her father. He'd taught her the names of the ones he knew, and the stories behind them. Her favorite had been the one about the chieftain, Maliha. She was the leader of a doomed tribe, and in the end, she sacrificed herself to save her people. For her bravery, the gods wove a tapestry of stars in her honor.

Sanja had cried when her father told her the story for the first time. When her father asked why, she said, "Because I don't want her to die, Papa!" Her father crouched down in front of her and replied, "But think of all the people she saved, my child."

As a child, she'd never understood what her father meant. It wasn't until she was grown that she understood the true value of sacrifice.

She'd been only seven when her parents had been killed. She was told it was an accident, that they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Even then, she knew something didn't add up, but she didn't question it. She didn't want to know the truth, she still didn't.

After they had died, Sanja was sent to live with a close friend of theirs. He was different than the kind of life she was used to. He was an ex-fighter pilot, and predictably a little rough around the edges. Eventually, they grew into some semblance of a relationship. He came to care for her as if she were his own daughter, and she loved him as if he were her father.

It had been years since she'd thought of the chieftain's story. She'd always thought that someday she'd be able to pass it on to her children, to share with them all she knew of the stars. She'd long ago given up that notion, after everything she had experienced, she loathed the thought of bringing a child into the world that she had come to know so harshly. _Maybe someday,_ she thought, a spark of hope in her chest, _maybe someday things will be right._

She dreamed of a future where she could have those things. A family, a place she was content to call home. She knew that in her current position none of that was possible. Doing odd jobs here and there wasn't any way to live, but it was all she had. After Larkin died- she swallowed.

She didn't want to think about Larkin, not now. What would he say if he saw her like this? All choked up over him? He'd probably say something like, 'What're cryin' about me for, kid? Now, that never got anybody anywhere.' She smiled at the thought.

She'd become so accustomed to the sound of her own footsteps that she nearly missed the second pair that had begun to trail her. The hair on the back of her neck stood straight up, the sensation causing her stomach to roll. She fought the urge to reach for her blaster, not wanting to arouse suspicion. She mentally calculated how much distance she still had between where she stood and her home. Even if she started running now, there was no way she'd be able to make it.

She spared a quick glance over her shoulder, noting the cloaked figure behind her. His shoulders were broad, and though his face was concealed, she had a feeling there was a sickening smile beneath his hood.

She quickened her pace, dread settling in her gut as her pursuer did the same. Her fingers were inches away from her blaster. _Now,_ she thought. She spun on her heel quickly, braid flying out behind her. Her pistol was grasped firmly between her hands, pointed directly at the chest of the man who had been following her. Her finger was on the trigger, pushing down...

She was grabbed suddenly from behind, a rough arm around her neck, trapping her. She tried to scream, but her attacker’s hand was pressed firmly against her mouth. Her blaster was knocked to the ground, forgotten at her feet. She struggled to no avail, his hold was too strong. "Ooh, a feisty one aren't we." Said the man in front of her. She wanted to gag at his words. She wished she'd shot him when she had the chance.

"You sure this is her?" Asked the man who held her.

"Oh yeah, this is definitely the one."

She squirmed in his arms, trying with all her might to break free. _Come on Sanja, you're better than this._ She thought of Maliha, who had given every last effort to save her tribe. Sanja could at least do the same for herself. She kicked backward with all the strength she could muster, driving her foot into his shin. He grunted in pain, his hold on her loosening for just a second.

It was all she needed. She pulled free of his grasp, ducking swiftly to avoid the arm that swung out to grab her. She broke into a sprint, stumbling forward blindly, she heard the men curse behind her before starting after her. Her lungs burned as she pressed on, she could still feel them on her tail and she scolded herself for not picking up her blaster.

They were right behind her now, and she had nothing left to give. She panted, willing her legs to move faster, to somehow outpace two men who were both taller and had at least twice the muscle she had.

A hand reached out to grab her wrist and she pulled away sharply, but her attacker held fast. She slammed her other elbow into his chest, twisting so that his hand was forced to let go of her. Her knee came up to jab him in the side and he groaned when it made contact. She positioned herself to strike again, swinging her elbow at his cheek. He caught her arm, pulling her into him and twisting her arm until she cried out.

"No, let me go." She protested as she fought to get out of his grip "Stop, please." Her pleas fell on deaf ears as she stumbled backward, and right into the other man's chest. "Please." There was a sharp prick in the side of her neck before her limbs turned to lead. The last thing she remembered was whispering a silent prayer to her gods before the world went black.


	2. The Ice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw: violence and swearing, no rape

She dreamt she was on the ice again. The snow fell so thick around her she could hardly see three steps in front of her. They were there, waiting for her. They always were. "Come on, you're almost there!" A voice echoed around her. 

"Mama?" She called, her eyes searching. 

"Are you ready? Three, two, one-"

"Papa?"

She took a tentative step forward, then another. The ice groaned beneath her, but she steadied herself. "Hello?" She kept forward, until her gaze set upon two figures in the distance. She quickened her pace, hands reaching out in front of her. 

As she looked on, she noticed the third figure beside them, small and unmistakably- her. Her parents did not acknowledge her, focused upon the child in front of them. Little Sanja stumbled forward, closer and closer to her parents' waiting arms. 

"Come on, you're almost there!" Her mother repeated again. The little girl took her last steps forward and into her father's arms and he scooped her up, his laughter full of joy. "Are you ready?" He asked her. "Three, two, one-" then little Sanja was launched in the air, bursting into a fit of giggles as she landed back in the father's embrace. 

Tears pricked Sanja's eyes and she stepped forward cautiously. "Mama?" Her mother's head turned to face her, and a bright smile broke out on her face. 

"My flower, look how you've grown." 

She reached out for her but never made contact. The ice fell suddenly from beneath her, a resounding crack in her ears. She gasped as she fell, ice-cold water sending prickling waves of pain throughout her body. Her body was on fire and frozen solid at the same time. She struggled to breathe, darkness clouding her vision. She tried to swim up, back towards that small patch of light, but the water held her down. She kicked and flailed until she went limp, and watched as the light faded away. 

She woke suddenly, her gut twisting in her stomach. 

Her head shot up, taking in her surroundings. In the dim lamplight, she could just barely make out the furnishings of what appeared to be a storage room. There were boxes everywhere, stacked high to the ceiling. She tried to move her arms and discovered she'd been bound and gagged, tossed in a dark corner filled with heavy wooden crates.

Her muscles ached and she knew that her body must have been littered with bruises. She rolled her head to the side and winced at the stiffness she found there. She pressed her finger to the injection sight tenderly, finding it slightly swollen. 

She was in no condition to attempt an escape, not that she even had enough information to plan one. She had no idea where she was, or why she had been taken in the first place. She'd heard stories of people being captured and sold into slavery. Women who'd been just like her were broken beyond repair. Sometimes with whips and other times... she shuddered at the thought. Images of unwelcome hands running down her body, stripping her bare flashed through her mind. Her thoughts were interrupted by the heavy metal door swinging open to reveal a man she didn't recognize.

He wasn't one of her attackers, though he was built and dressed similarly. He had several knives strapped to his body, and a long, thin scar running from the side of his face down to his neck. "Good, you're awake." He came closer and removed her gag, giving her a look that she took to be a warning before stepping back. 

She wanted to say something but he held up a hand in protest. "I'm sure you have questions, but first you're going to answer mine."

"I can't help you. I don't even know who you are." 

"No. But I know who you are." He paused, narrowing his eyes at her. "Tell me, where did you get this." He held up a familiar gold chain, a shining medallion hanging from it. Her hand shot immediately to her neck, where it usually rested on her collarbone. 

She tried to launch herself forward but stumbled. He stepped just out of reach. "Give it back." 

He shook his head, dangling the necklace in front of her again. "Where did you get it." He said, this time she caught a malicious undertone. She swallowed. She had no doubt that this man would hurt her if he needed to, the work of his comrades had been evidence enough. 

"My mother gave it to me, now please, let me go." Clearly, that hadn't been the answer he was hoping for. He grabbed her braid, yanking her upright. 

"You're lying to me." He seethed. 

She wrestled to break free of his hold. "No, I'm not. Stop it! That hurts!"

He threw her to the ground with a huff and she bit back a cry. He crouched down in front of her, face level with her own. She fought the urge to spit in his ugly face. He pulled out a freshly sharpened knife from the sheath on his wrist, weighing it between his palms. "Do you know what happens to people who lie to me?" He asked, voice dropping into a low growl. 

She had a feeling she didn't want to know the answer. 

"I will ask you again, and as many times as necessary. Where did you get this medallion?" 

"I told you my moth-" She cried out in pain as the blade made contact with her shoulder, dragging down to her elbow. She could feel the blood soaking through the material of her shirt. The cut wasn't deep, he wanted to make sure she was alive for as long as possible, but it still hurt like hell. 

"Wrong answer." She whimpered, and he cut another slash across her side. Fire erupted where the knife struck her and she bit back the tears she could feel gathering in her eyes. 

She wracked her brain for something to tell him. "Wait, wait. You're right." She said, shrinking back into the wall. "I lied. The truth is, I stole it." She said and prayed she seemed convincing enough for him not to kill her.

The truth was, Sanja had lied to him. But she hadn't stolen the necklace either.

He smiled, leaning back into the wall. "That's right. Who did you steal it from?" 

"I-I stole it from a merchant, he was selling things he'd collected and I thought I could make a few credits off the necklace." She waited for the sting of the blade, but it never came. He seemed pleased with her answer, like she'd told him exactly what he'd wanted to hear.

He held up the medallion again, admiring it. "Oh, you can make more than a few credits off of this. This would've had you set for life." 

He turned his gaze back to her. "For your cooperation, I'll grant you a swift death." Her eyes widened. But before he could another figure stepped through the door, a woman this time. 

"Boss, there's something goin' on out here. I think you should have a look."

He pulled out a blaster, shoving it in her face. "Damnit bitch! Can't you see I'm busy?" The woman gave an audible gasp, stumbling back through the door. 

"Yes sir, but-" She was cut off by the sound of two blaster shots and the thump of bodies hitting the ground. There was another shot and the woman crumpled to the ground. Sanja's breath hitched. 

"The hell is going on out here?" The man peered cautiously out the door frame, his blaster at the ready, one finger on the trigger. The room had gone silent, Sanja's eyes still fixed on the dead body that now lay in front of her. There was a set of heavy footsteps before an unfamiliar modulated voice broke through the silence.

"I can bring you in warm, or I can bring you in cold."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my tumblr: https://sundaysongs.tumblr.com/


	3. The Hunter

"I can bring you in warm, or I can bring you in cold." 

Sanja's gaze snapped up to the voice, and through the door stepped a figure clad in leather and worn metal armor from head to toe. His most distinctive feature though, was the beskar helmet that concealed the entirety of his face. She heard herself take a sharp intake of breath. _A Mandalorian,_ she thought.

She'd heard tales of the legendary warriors of course, though she'd assumed they were all dead.

It didn't seem he'd noticed her, his eyes trained on the man in front of him. Her kidnapper had his blaster aimed at the Mandalorian's chest. "Who the hell are you?" He didn't answer.

She pressed herself closer to the wall, inching slowly behind the stack of crates beside her and out of sight. Her heart beat furiously in her chest as she focused on keeping her breaths even. Peering through the cracks, she could clearly make out both her captor and the Mandalorian on the other side. Her captor took a cautious step back, and then another.

"You can't take me, I won't let you."

He made a move to pull the trigger but was stopped by a sudden cord wrapped tightly around his left calf, pulling him to the ground. He was on his back in a matter of seconds, blaster still gripped tightly between his fingers.

A shot fired, and she saw the Mandalorian dodge, the plasma blast narrowly missing his shoulder. Another loud bang, followed by a sharp hiss of pain. "I'll kill you for that, Mando."

Her captor gripped his leg, and her eyes trailed down to the steady stream of blood that ran down his thigh and stained his forearm red. _Serves him right. ___

____

__The Mandalorian seemed unfazed, if he was worried his body language betrayed nothing. She looked back over at her captor just in time to see him swing out wildly with his blade, the same one still dripping with her blood._ _

____

__He missed by several inches, stumbling forward before regaining his balance. He swung again and the Mandalorian stepped easily out of his way. He gripped his elbow, twisting him into a chokehold, pressing his blaster to the side of his head._ _

____

__"Easy now," said the Mandalorian, his voice sinking into a low rumble, "nobody needs to die today." For once her captor kept his mouth shut, nodding his head._ _

____

__"Good." He produced a set of handcuffs, clamping them tight around the man's wrists._ _

____

__Sanja held her breath, willing the man to keep quiet. If she waited until they left, it at least gave her a fighting chance to escape. She could see the beginnings of a plan begin to take form in her mind. With her attacker and several of his cronies out of the way... The Mandalorian turned to leave with her captor in tow. Just as she was about to release a sigh of relief, he froze. His helmet was titled down at the floor, directly where she'd left a dark pool of blood._ _

____

__Ice flooded her veins. There was no way he hadn't noticed that it was fresh, and it was all she could do to keep silent as he followed the thin trail of blood to her hiding spot._ _

____

__Internally, she was screaming at herself for being so stupid._ _

____

__In a matter of seconds, Sanja was face to face with a Mandalorian. She looked up, finding his gaze already fixed on her. She wanted to look away, for the last thing she saw not to be the face of her killer, but she was frozen._ _

____

__He didn't reach for his blaster._ _

____

__Instead, he offered her his hand._ _

____

__She stared at the gloved hand in front of her before looking at her own, grimy, bloodstained one. She placed it carefully in his palm and allowed him to pull her up from the ground. He gave her a once over before stating, "you're injured."_ _

____

__She shook her head, praying that she didn't give too much away. "I'm fine." In truth, her body protested against her every movement, but she didn't trust the Mandalorian and she wasn't about to tell him just how weak she was in her current state. It seemed he could judge that for himself though, because he gave her a disbelieving glance before motioning her out the door._ _

____

__She kept her head down, grinding her teeth together in an effort to curb the pain. Her captor walked with them, the Mandalorian's hand still pressed firmly against his back. He shoved him along as they went, gathering strange looks from the crowd that had gathered at the town market. The Mandalorian paid them no attention as they passed, while Sanja relished in the feeling of the sunshine on her skin._ _

____

__How long had it been since she'd last seen daylight? Two days? More? It had felt like an eternity for a girl who'd lived her entire life under the sun._ _

____

__Her stomach grumbled as they passed through, her eyes wandering to the various carts selling all manner of delicious items. She caught an older woman pointing at her and she looked down, her eyes trained on the dusty path in front of her. She knew how she must appear, covered in dirt and blood._ _

____

__When they finally stopped, they stood before a sturdy, beaten ship. Pre-empire if Sanja had to guess. The hatch opened to reveal a dim interior, and she hesitated before climbing inside._ _

____

__She had many questions. Most of which included, where were they going? And what the hell was she going to do?_ _

____

__Other, secondary questions included, when was the last time she ate? And when was she going to eat again?_ _

____

__Before she had the chance to ask any of them though, she was pushed into what appeared to be the cockpit. She stood herself as far away as possible in the small space from the man who had held her captive. She didn't dare look at him, partially out of fear and partly out of disgust._ _

____

__Thankfully, he didn't say a word as the Mandalorian took a seat in the pilot's chair and typed in coordinates she didn't recognize. Once they were successfully off-planet, he turned to face her. "There's bacta spray in the back," he said, pointing to the door behind him, "for your wounds."_ _

____

__She nodded, keeping as close to the wall as possible to avoid contact with her captor as she made her way out of the cockpit and towards the lower section of the ship. She scanned the shelves before her eyes landed on a bundle that vaguely resembled the med packs she had seen when she used to fix up ships with Larkin._ _

____

__As a child, she had spent countless days in the shipyard with Larkin while he taught her about each ship that came through. She found herself fascinated with them, each new project an opportunity for her to learn something new. Before long, she was one of the best engineers they had. After he passed, Sanja continued to use her skills to make a living for herself, though it didn't offer much in the way of money._ _

____

__She cleaned her wounds quickly, giving them a quick spray before putting everything back where she found it. Feeling decidedly less miserable than she had in days, she made her way back to the cockpit. Neither the Mandalorian nor her captor acknowledged her presence. They sat in relative silence for a while, save for their breathing and the mechanical whir of the ship.__

____

__After a while the Mandalorian turned to her, taking in her state once again. "You should rest," He said, pointing towards the back of the ship. She spared a glance at her former captor, already passed out in the copilot's chair. When she made no move to leave the cockpit the Mandalorian sighed, standing up from his seat. He pushed past her, leading her to a far corner of the ship. He said nothing as he pressed a button on a nearby keypad, revealing a small cot. "Rest."_ _

____

__She glanced at the nest of blankets before turning back to the Mandalorian, only to find him walking back toward the cockpit. She sighed, settling down into the mattress. As all the events of the last few days washed over her, she felt her eyelids flutter shut, the world going silent, with nothing but the hum of the ship to lull her to sleep._  
_

____

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked! I'll update eventually... probably.
> 
> Come hang out! my tumblr: https://sundaysongs.tumblr.com/


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